Camp, Day 13

The Blue Jackets, now nearly two weeks into training camp, had 27 players on the ice today, enough to justify only one group and one practice. Yes, the 2011-12 season is drawing closer.

Here are the lines and pairs coach Scott Arniel had on the ice today:

F1: Nash - Carter - Kubalik

F2: Prospal - Vermette - Atkinson

F3: Brassard - Johansen - Umberger

F4: Dorsett - Pahlsson - Mayorov

F5: Giroux - St. Pierre - Boll

D1: Tyutin - Savard

D2: Moore - Martinek

D3: Methot - Johnson

D4: Holden - Clitsome

D5: Russell - Wisniewski

Now, before you read too far into this, before you go to you NHL fantasy/pool draft tonight and pick Kubalik over Stamkos, understand that these lines represent merely the coaching staff's thinking heading into Thursday's exhibition game vs. Minnesota in Nationwide Arena.

Clearly the coaches are intrigued by Tomas Kubalik's size on the Rick Nash-Jeff Carter line, and they might be intrigued by Maksim Mayorov's ability to play a two-way role on a line with center Sammy Pahlsson. But there are lots of moves to be made between now and next week. SIx players remain out with injuries, four of them forwards. If Matt Calvert (groin) and Derek MacKenzie (knee) are back before the opener, they'll bounce two guys out of jobs.

Side dishes

-- Calvert skated on his own again today. He will not play in either of the final two exhibition games -- Friday in Raleigh, N.C., is the other game -- but there's still a chance he's ready by opening night.

-- The educated guess here is that goaltender Steve Mason starts and plays the entire game vs. Minnesota on Thursday. Curtis Sanford, then, would make sense as the starter on Friday in North Caroliney.

-- Had a good chat with defenseman James Wisniewski today, the results of which will appear in Thursday's editions of The Columbus Dispatch. Wisniewski still seems shocked by his eight-game suspension, and he ruled out appealing the decision. He's going to focus his energy, he said, on helping the Blue Jackets' young defensemen get ready for the season and become more well-rounded players. There's also been talk about him sitting in the press box on game nights -- between goaltending coach Ian Clark and assistant coach Dan Hinote -- to watch the game from a bird's-eye view, to get a better grasp on the Blue Jackets' system and his teammate's tendencies. "We have to move forward," Wisniewski said. "It's a tough situation. But I'm going to make the most out of it."

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

The Blue Jackets, now nearly two weeks into training camp, had 27 players on the ice today, enough to justify only one group and one practice. Yes, the 2011-12 season is drawing closer.

Here are the lines and pairs coach Scott Arniel had on the ice today:

F1: Nash - Carter - Kubalik

F2: Prospal - Vermette - Atkinson

F3: Brassard - Johansen - Umberger

F4: Dorsett - Pahlsson - Mayorov

F5: Giroux - St. Pierre - Boll

D1: Tyutin - Savard

D2: Moore - Martinek

D3: Methot - Johnson

D4: Holden - Clitsome

D5: Russell - Wisniewski

Now, before you read too far into this, before you go to you NHL fantasy/pool draft tonight and pick Kubalik over Stamkos, understand that these lines represent merely the coaching staff's thinking heading into Thursday's exhibition game vs. Minnesota in Nationwide Arena.

Clearly the coaches are intrigued by Tomas Kubalik's size on the Rick Nash-Jeff Carter line, and they might be intrigued by Maksim Mayorov's ability to play a two-way role on a line with center Sammy Pahlsson. But there are lots of moves to be made between now and next week. SIx players remain out with injuries, four of them forwards. If Matt Calvert (groin) and Derek MacKenzie (knee) are back before the opener, they'll bounce two guys out of jobs.

Side dishes

-- Calvert skated on his own again today. He will not play in either of the final two exhibition games -- Friday in Raleigh, N.C., is the other game -- but there's still a chance he's ready by opening night.

-- The educated guess here is that goaltender Steve Mason starts and plays the entire game vs. Minnesota on Thursday. Curtis Sanford, then, would make sense as the starter on Friday in North Caroliney.

-- Had a good chat with defenseman James Wisniewski today, the results of which will appear in Thursday's editions of The Columbus Dispatch. Wisniewski still seems shocked by his eight-game suspension, and he ruled out appealing the decision. He's going to focus his energy, he said, on helping the Blue Jackets' young defensemen get ready for the season and become more well-rounded players. There's also been talk about him sitting in the press box on game nights -- between goaltending coach Ian Clark and assistant coach Dan Hinote -- to watch the game from a bird's-eye view, to get a better grasp on the Blue Jackets' system and his teammate's tendencies. "We have to move forward," Wisniewski said. "It's a tough situation. But I'm going to make the most out of it."

-- Aaron Portzline

aportzline@dispatch.com

twitter: @aportzline

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